Can any one tell me what species of horsefield i have please thanks

[stehowarth]

Just wondering what kind of horsefield I have can anyone help thanx

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Just wondering what kind of horsefield I have can anyone help thanx

Remember that the Russian tortoise is a species: Testudo horsfieldii. Currently, some authorities think there are three accepted subspecies: T. h. horsfieldii, T. h. kazachstanica, and T. h. rustamovi (See "Russian Subspecies"). Each of these subspecies is thought to have a different shell shape:

T. h. horsfieldii - Round, domed carapace
T. h. kazachstanica - Round, flat carapace
T. h. rustamovi - Elongated, flat carapace

The T. h. kazachstanica type is probably the most abundant, the most commonly collected, and the most frequently encountered in the pet trade.

The problem with this scheme is that shell shape may vary within a region, or may depend on environmental conditions. Sometimes it's also hard to tell where a captive born and bred (CBB) individual came from if its shell growth pattern has been altered by its conditions.

In addition, new research (Fritz et al. 2009) has shown that the morphotypes mentioned above only partially correspond to genotypes encountered in the wild. Testudo horsfieldii kazachstanica probably is a real type, but the other two probably are not (see another thread, "Russian Sub Species").

Okay, so having said all that, what type of Russian is yours? Well, it does appear that your little guy is showing some signs of pyramiding. This could be due to diet, although based on that dish there, his diet could be fine. It could also be due to environment, specifically low humidity. While Russians are adapted to low humidity levels (around 40%), they still need a moist substrate so they can experience relatively high humidity levels when they burrow (about 20% above ambient). In addition, young tortoises of all species are more vulnerable to pyramiding, because their carapace grows more rapidly. It looks like your little guy has a substrate of alfalfa pellets, which can be quite drying and may be causing the pyramiding. I recommend switching to coconut coir, or else cypress mulch, topsoil, potting soil, and/or organic soil to remedy this situation.

As you can see, it's not as simple as just looking at the shell. However, your guy does appear to have a fairly flattened carapace. It's hard to tell from that angle whether his shell is elongated or round - probably round. In that case, he's probably T. h. kazachstanica, which as I said, is the most abundant and possibly the only real Russian tortoise subspecies or type (if any may be considered valid).

 

[stehowarth]

Thanx for the help I'll try that